IRC: Interwetten Rally Sardinia shakedown report

Interwetten Racing Team is very confident for the adventure of Sardinia
Franz Wittmann/Klaus Wicha forego double risk for crossing the finishing
line
On Friday morning Franz Wittmann und Klaus Wicha completed the first
kilometres on gravel in...

Interwetten Racing Team is very confident for the adventure of Sardinia

On Friday morning Franz Wittmann und Klaus Wicha completed the first
kilometres on gravel in the IRC series with the Peugeot 207 S2000.
The Interwetten Racing-duo did five turns on the approximately two
kilometres long shakedown on Monte Pinu.

Wittmann: "It is really beautiful here. But unfortunately the shakedown
doesn't have the characteristics of the rally. Therefore it was more
sensible not to take a risk. Yet, I'm sure that we are very well
prepared despite the missing testing kilometres on gravel. The stages
could suit me. But we'll have to wait and see how deep the tracks will
be."

Opposed to initial information Franz Wittmann will now take up the
rally as ninth car with starting number nine and not as second car. An
advantage for the 26-year-old Lower Austrian who doesn't have to play
"road sweeper".

"But we still won't attack to the fullest but rather try to find our
rhythm first. Since we lack the testing kilometres we would have to take
double or triple risk in order to keep up with the top. That wouldn't
be wise after our problems in Monte and on Grand Canary", explains the
Interwetten-Racing driver.

Therefore Franz Wittmann won't be too concerned with the times of the
opponents. Additionally, this wouldn't even have been possible during
the shakedown since no official timekeeping was employed.

The ceremonial start of the "Rally d'Italia Sardegna 2010" will take
place on June 4 at 20.00 in Cagliari. The restart of the rally will be
even there on June 5 at 06.10. Scheduled are 12 special stages with a
length of 218,70 kilometres. The overall length of the pure gravel rally
measures 985,60 kilometres since the special stages are spread over
almost the entire second-largest Mediterranean isle. The finishing line
will be crossed on June 6 at 19.00 in Porto Cervo at the Costa Smeralda.